Hencoop House: A Unique Building in Hani Ethnic Villages

The residential houses of Hani people mainly are floor hencoop house and soil palm house. Hencoop house shapes like an inverting hencoop. The wall is made from soil, with four pillars supporting the central beam, and bamboo poles supporting roof bow, and thatched roof.

Hencoop house is the common housing for Pu’er’s Hani national minority and Yuanyang’s Hani national minority. The material and low height bring the house a strong wind-resistance, an increase of indoor temperature, fire-resistance, and making it warm in winter and cool in summer.

The middle and south parts of Yunnan are conspicuous and fascinating. Crafty clouds in A’Wa Mountain, Ailao Mountain, Wuliang Mountain; golden and green colors in Chuanhe Dam, Jinggu Dam, Simao Dam, Menglang Dam. Soil palm houses, hencoop houses, bamboo houses, all make it a warm dreamland.

Hani villages are often built halfway up the mountainside or gentle slope area, surrounded by lush trees and streams all year around. In the past, their residential houses mainly were floor hencoop houses and soil palm houses. With the integration and development of culture, both are gradually replaced by the tile-roofed houses, and some are even replaced by the flat top houses with concrete reinforcement.